News

We are deeply humbled to announce that UNDERGROUND RAILROAD GAME was named #21 of the 25 best plays of the last 25 years by the New York Times.

From the article:

Physical-theater artists who wrote this daring show for themselves to perform, Ms. Kidwell and Mr. Sheppard are accustomed to making work that’s rooted in the body. “Underground Railroad Game” is more text-based than they’re used to, yet it’s rooted in the body, too — the black body and the white body, female and male, locked in a poisoned dynamic of scarring damage and enormous pain.

We have been working on this piece since 2013, for all five years of our life as a company. From the cramped RV we drove down to New Orleans that fall, to the esteemed OBIE Award ceremony last spring, we have been bowled over by reception to this work. To find our show on this list, amongst plays like “August: Osage County,” “The Laramie Project,” “The Vagina Monologues,” and “An Octoroon” is more than we could ever have dreamed of.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD GAME stands as a testament to the continuing power of live theatre. If you have been moved by the show and believe in our mission of exploding complex questions with precision and play, we urge you to secure the future of Lightning Rod Special’s work:

Your tax-deductible donation ensures that we can maintain our commitment to creating intelligent, considered work that provokes the cobwebbed corners of our audiences’ minds. Donations of all sizes have a huge impact. If you are interested in making a donation of $2,500+ or in becoming an honorary producer of our future work, please contact Alice@lightningrodspecial.com.

Thank you.

For more information about the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD GAME tour and art book/script, click HERE.

It’s been many months since our in-process showing of “Unformed Consent” in August and we are back in the studio, hard at work continuing development of the piece. We’ve been working on sharpening the critique, deepening our research, and most of all… writing new songs.

When we create, we do so with active participation and listening from every person in the room. In this way, our pieces are really created by the collective and have a strong ensemble voice. With this same sense of collaboration, our audience is a crucial voice for us to hear. Given that it can be many years before our shows premiere, we like to give you as many looks into our process as possible.

So, you are cordially invited to a one-night-only cabaret of songs from “Unformed Consent” and songs that have never before left the rehearsal room.

It’s that time of year again: days are getting shorter and colder, but it’s warm and bright inside the annual LRS party!

This year the party, The Big Bad Funtime Bash, celebrates our fifth anniversary. Five years of making provocative, incendiary original performance in Philadelphia. This party will celebrate our trickster spirit by indulging all things bad. Let yourself be a little naughty this year and join us on Monday, December 11th from 6-9pm at the Maas Building.

Featuring performances by Salty Brine, Isaac Oliver, Jess Conda, and the cast of “Unformed Consent.” Plus Magic Mike bartenders, deviant spiritual guides, prizes from Groundswell Greetings, KG Strong, Good King Tavern, and more. Live auction prizes include roundtrip train fare to New York City to enjoy dinner at Morimoto before seeing “The Lucky Ones” produced by Ars Nova.

All funds raised at the Big Bad Funtime Bash will support our continued development on “Unformed Consent.” Help us continue to make this timely, socially important work!

Now that the space dust from Sans Everything has settled, we’re back in the studio hard at work on a new show. To support this effort, LRS is participating in FringeArt’s community-wide dance marathon fundraising effort. This Saturday, May 20th, we’ll be at the Blue Cross River Rink dancing our “art” out. Sponsor Scott and Mason as they shake their tail feathers for Lightning Rod Special! Click the DONATE NOW button below…

HOW IT WORKS:
⚡️ For every donation we receive, LRS takes home 75% and FringeArts receives 25% to continue supporting artists like us.

⚡️ Scott and Mason will be dancing starting at 5pm. For every $50 donated, each will dance for 1 hour. Our goal is to keep them dancing for SIX HOURS.

⚡️ Want to get in on the action? Register to join our dance team HERE. Click “individual dancer” and then choose LIGHTNING ROD SPECIAL under “join a team”. Your $25 registration fee is donated to LRS and while you’re welcome to raise/donate more than that, there’s no pressure!

⚡️ Show up at BlueCross RiverRink on Saturday May 20th at 5pm. Wear yellow (like a lightning bolt) or your Lightning Rod Special tee-shirt if you’ve got one (we’ll be selling them there, too).

Yesterday we began rehearsals on SANS EVERYTHING, our collaboration with Strange Attractor three years in the making.

We sat on the floor of the Red Horse Studio discussing characters, reading the script, and talking about our goals for the show. We’ve been reading Antonin Artaud’s “No More Masterpieces” essay, chatting with Artificial Intelligence experts, trying desperately to reach a Luddite (NOT EASY), and prepping for a busy week of collective actions. (More below)

EVERYTHING SPECTACULAR

Another transcendent LRS extravaganza in support of the premiere of SANS EVERYTHING, coming to FringeArts in February of 2017. Expect all the things you love about an LRS party–dancing, music, libations, raffle prizes–all wrapped up in a Monday happy hour package. Save that date!

To make sure that you’re kept updated on the details, sign up for our mailing list:

Attention procrastinators: Underground Railroad Game at Ars Nova has been extended through the end of October! $35 tickets are now available until October 29. Performances have been selling out left and right so don’t delay any further: BUY TICKETS HERE.

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Read the NYTimes review HERE and the TimeOut review HERE and then get your tickets!